IFTTT Autopost 
Today is the feast of St. John XXIII, one of the most influential figures of the Twentieth Century.
Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was elected pope in October of 1958 and served until his death on June 3, 1963 at the age of 81.
Though he was elected more as an “interim pope,” he shocked the Church by throwing open the windows of the Church, letting in the Holy Spirit and fresh air. He did this by calling the Second Vatican Council.
The Council invited Catholic Christians to return to their roots. Therefore, for the first time in 400 years, Catholic Christians once again celebrated the Eucharist in whatever language they spoke and understood. Likewise, they were encouraged to treasure the Bible more intimately. This was a very logical thing to teach, for it was the early Catholic Christians who wrote the New Testament books of the Bible.
John XXIII was noted for not only for Vatican II, but also for his incredible friendliness, down-to-earth approach to life and spirituality, and his spectacular sense of humor.
In the photo above, we see some children in front of their church, San Juan XXIII in the Curarén community of Plan de Rancho, waiting for Mass to begin on their church’s feast day, October 11, 2018.
